The biological effects exerted by magnets have recently become very widely recognized. It is now widely accepted that exposure to a magnetic field can have a positive benefit on a variety of different types of products and on the consumer using such products so treated. For example, WO 9503061 discloses a preparation containing magnetic particles, which preparation can have the effect of increasing blood circulation, thereby purportedly enhancing delivery of active components to target tissues, among other effects. Exposure to a magnetic field is also said to have the effect of preserving food or cosmetic products, preventing the decay of materials contained therein (JP 5309016). It is also said that cosmetic products so treated, when applied to skin, can produce a "regenerative" action on the skin(DE 3629761). It is apparent, then, that those skilled in the art recognize that that treatment of products with a magnetic field can have a beneficial effect on the product and the end user.
The desired exposure can be accomplished by a variety of different mechanisms. For example, this can be achieved by exposing the product to a magnet during the manufacturing process (ES 2083331). However, one of the more common means for treating a product with a magnetic field is to incorporate one or more magnets into the packaging in which the product is stored and/or sold. For example, the package may have a magnet or magnetizing device which is detachable (CN 1094685). More commonly, however, a package may have one or more magnets incorporated into the wall of the container, or permanently fixed on a surface of the container (e.g., WO 9709249, BR 9104783, JP 3176381, U.S. Pat. No. 5,297,694, FR 2649959, DE 3634121). One of the disadvantages of such systems, however, is that, with magnets fixed in place in the package, the product may not be continually and/or uniformly exposed to the magnetic field, potentially resulting in an inadequate magnetization of the product. For example, in a situation in which the magnets are located in fixed position on or within the inner wall of the container, as the amount of the product in the package is used up, the level drops, and may in fact drop below a point at which it has any effective exposure to the magnet. In addition, containers which contain magnets embedded in or affixed to their walls will require a somewhat more cumbersome, and therefore costly, process of manufacture than would a standard plastic or glass jar or bottle. There thus continues to be a need for magnetic packaging which provides consistent, strong exposure of the product to the magnetic field, while at the same time permitting a fairly simple, and inexpensive, method of manufacture. The present invention provides such a package.